Letter: Bring heritage back to life

The South Island Recreation Association would like to invite Sooke council to share our vision of a backcountry destination with accessible lakes and high elevation lookouts as one of Sooke’s premier attractions.

The inland freshwater lakes are warm enough for swimming in the summer and they present an excellent angling resource, having been stocked three times since the gate went up on Harbourview Road in 2002. The close proximity of the landlocked provincial park in our back yard provides an amenity for hard working local families to run the kids out to the lake after work on a hot summer day, or rough it on a weekend camp-out. In the winter, the lakes still freeze over sufficient for ice fishing or skating, and there is nearly always snow for a Christmas outing. The old fire lookout locations are placed with a magnificent high elevation 360 degree view of the entire Sooke horizon, having originally been selected to spot forest fires that may wipe out valuable timber.

The groundwork is already laid in our Official Community Plan, private money will rebuild the existing logging road, the province is supportive, and with the cooperation of the District of Sooke, legal access to this unparalleled heritage of our forest industry can be brought back to life.